Little Ba Reum AU - The roads not taken

Chapter 13

Hyuk made sure to be very calm the whole evening, the reactions that Ba Reum had to some things had been alarming, but no good would come from it if he put any attention to it.

Instead, he kept on encouraging the little, even when his spoon dripped on the shirt he was wearing and Ba Reum looked at him, all stiffened up and seemingly waiting for something bad to happen.

"It's good, right?" Hyuk had asked, smiling at Ba Reum and the little had just stared at him a few moments before nodding and hesitantly putting the spoon in his mouth.

It had happened a few more moments, Ba Reum definitely not old enough to eat cleanly, and each time Hyuk had reacted as calm as he could, one time even taken the spoon out of the frozen hand and scraping the piece of the shirt and pushing it in Ba Reum's mouth.

And the cookies!

How surprised and happy the little had looked by just two cookies. Hyuk had to resist to give him the whole plate, but he didn't think that Ba Reum would know how to handle that.

And still the little was in headspace. Not that Hyuk minded, but the sky was getting dark already, and he had seen Ba Reum start to yawn during the play with the cars, the little keeping silently busy even though he glanced at Hyuk several times, but then pretended he didn't.

The diaper, which peeked out every time Ba Reum leaned forwards, seemed to have thickened considerably, and Hyuk was glad the little had accepted it. A small tug on his pants leg made him look at Ba Reum.

"Yes, sweetheart? You want something?" Hyuk asked, but Ba Reum just flushed and shook his head, quickly huddling himself against the couch and Hyuk's legs and going back and forth with the car.

A hand pushed the neck of the shirt in his mouth while Ba Reum seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Hey, it's okay. You can ask Hyuk. I won't get mad," the big man said, sliding down on the floor so he was sitting next to Ba Reum, who was huddling in an even smaller ball, and whispered something.

"Thirsty," came the word, almost to silent to hear, and the little put his forehead against his knees and covered his head with his arms, "sorry,"

"No, it's very good that you told me," Hyuk said, wrapping his arms around the little and hugging him as good as he could with Ba Reum in that position, "what a good boy, knowing when to tell he's thirsty, or hungry, or needs something,"

"I am?" Ba Reum asked, surprised and uncurling himself so he could be better hugged.

"Of course you are, sweetheart. What do you want to drink?" Hyuk asked.

"Water's good," Ba Reum said, and Hyuk nodded, smiling and wondering if the little wouldn't prefer something else, but just went to get the water anyway. He had a feeling that pushing would just make him uncomfortable.

He didn't have any sippy cups or bottles yet, so instead he took a coffee mug, filling it up and going back.

"I'll help you drink," Hyuk said, holding the mug together with Ba Reum and letting the little guide the pace, a small trail of water still slipping past his lips, but nothing more.

"Thank you," Ba Reum said, and subtly tried to keep close to the big man, giving a secret smile when he felt the arm going around him. Yawning, he suppressed a shiver and snuggled a bit more in the side, grateful for the affection and the heat.

"Ba Reum, do you want to sleep now? I got a room that's good for you, if you want?" Hyuk asked, still unsure about this. It was one thing to let the little stay with him for a couple of hours, but to let him sleep with an almost complete stranger, it might be that he would be scared.